RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
In December and into this month, we’ve honored coaches at the club, high school and college levels and one who ranked high on our the Extra Elite 100 College Coaches list was Karen Weekly, the co-head coach along with her husband, Ralph Weekly, at the Univ. of Tennessee.
The Weeklys have built an exemplary program on and off the field to rank in the Top 10 on the College List and in our write-up of the pair we mentioned:
“The duo have become one of the most respected tandems in the country, with players like Monica Abbott; Shannon Doepking; Raven Chavanne; and Madison Shipman all emerging from under their tutelage.”
Coach Karen has focused on progressive development of the Lady Vols student-athletes within the softball program emphasizing growth both on and off of the field.
The team has grown into a powerhouse on the field while maintaining excellence in the classroom as well. Amid the pandemic, the team was able to combine for a 3.5 GPA during the Fall 2020 semester and consistently posts 1,000 APR scores.
Click HERE to read about the Vols 2021 schedule, announced earlier today!
The Vols co-head coach told Extra Inning Softball today:
“I’m proud that Tennessee Lady Vol softball players graduate with meaningful degrees and are able to pursue the professional career of their choice. We make whatever accommodation is necessary to allow them to major in anything they desire. College is not just about a four-year experience….it’s about preparing a young woman for the next 40 years of her life.”
“Whether a young woman wants to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, physical therapist, teacher, accountant, business executive, coach, or anything else, it is our duty to support her academic choices and give her every opportunity to excel. Our roster will always be diverse in terms of majors and our alumni occupy positions in a wide variety of professions.”
Also, at a time where social justice issues and fighting against racism are at the forefront, Coach Karen utilized the opportunity to read a book called “So You Want to Talk About Race” with her student-athletes, as part of their annual summer reading, and hold honest discussions about racism, prejudices and cultural competency.
In addition, the coach has marched in MLK Day Parade with the softball team and is all about treating others fairly, not matter who they are or what position they hold.
“I was raised in the Lutheran church and taught to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,'” Coach Karen explains. “My parents taught me that ALL people are equal and they lived out that belief in the way they treated others. My strongest motivation to become a lawyer was seeing injustices in the world and my desire to help right those wrongs.”
“George Floyd’s murder occurred right before we started our team summer book club,” she continues. “After conversations with our student-athletes, we all agreed we wanted to explore issues of racism and social justice together on a deeper level. “So You Want To Talk About Race” provided the perfect starting point for those honest and vulnerable discussions.”
“I’ve learned so much this past year from my black and brown friends, colleagues, alumni and current players. Each has a unique and important experience to share. And we all have a role in bringing about the change that’s needed in order to create a world where there truly is “liberty and justice for all.”
Coach Karen is the only woman to coach the Lady Vols softball program and has advocated for more women to become coaches at the collegiate ranks.
She has spoken on many panels for NFCA providing instruction tips and also currently resides on the SEC Baseball/Softball committee to help guide and support legislation for the league’s teams.
And if that’s not impressive enough, she can add “lawyer” and “author” to her resume as in 2012 she co-authored the book “High-Scoring Softball” along with Coach Ralph.
*****
College Coach Spotlight:
Coach: KAREN WEEKLY
Team: Univ. of Tennessee
Division: NCAA Division I
Location of University (City/State): Knoxville, Tennessee
Position: Head Coach
Career Record: 1,130-382-2 (.746)
Tennessee record: 907-285-2 (.759)
Years with Tennessee: 20
Individual accomplishments
- A 22-year collegiate softball head coaching veteran boasting 1,130 career wins
- Named to the NFCA Hall of Fame (2018)
- 2004 SEC Coach of the Year (along with Ralph Weekly)
- 5 NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors
Team accomplishments
- Has guided UT to 850 victories and five top three national finishes (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013)
- Seven appearances (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015) in the Women’s College World Series
- The shortened 2020 season was highlighted by one of the nation’s most clutch defenses as the Lady Vols finished second in the country after turning 17 double plays
- Coached one of the greatest pitchers of all time Monica Abbott
- Coached Madison Shipman who was named the Honda Sports Award Winner for Softball, earned SEC Player of the Year, NFCA Division I All-America first-team honors and Capital One Academic All-America first-team accolades. Shipman also became the first Tennessee student-athlete in any sport to win the prestigious Senior CLASS Award
- 36 NFCA All-America Selections
- 16 All-Americans